Exciting New Developments Coming to KWHS  

It is a very exciting time to be a member of the KWHS community as we see one of our fundamental principles, continuous improvement, bringing changes to the school that will benefit all students.  I will be sharing more detail on each of the items mentioned below in upcoming editions of our enews throughout the spring.
 
KWHS FlexTrac program will become FlexTech High School next year   

While we are sad to say goodbye to the FlexTrac community at KWoods, we are extremely excited at the opportunity for this new school to realize its vision as an exemplary model alternative high school that will be located in an impressive facility just a few miles east of KWHS.  
The FlexTrac program will become FlexTech High School for the fall of 2011.  More details about the program and the new high school's facility will be coming in the upcoming weeks.   
 
Seventh and Eighth grade students will be welcomed at KWHS's new Junior High starting in the fall of the 2011-2012 school year.  

Expanding the KWoods program to 7th and 8th grades has been a conversation for many years, as research has shown that these school years are pivotal years for learning and for personal development. We are planning a college preparatory program that capitalizes on the specific needs of the junior high school student that prepares them to become engaged and powerful learners who will be well-equipped for the rigors of high school and beyond.  This program will be limited to 25 students in the first year.
 
A new KWHS building is on the horizon 
While we do not have a specific location to announce yet, the KWHS Board of Directors has been busy these past few months identifying possible properties for our school to consider.  The Board is scheduled to interview several architects this spring and we hope to have a concept drawing of our new school that would open by fall 2013 to present to our school community before the end of this school year.
 
College Preparatory Curriculum Advancement   

Nationwide, the number of students who need to take remedial courses in college has been rising-more than 40 percent of students entering college need remedial courses in mathematics, reading or writing. These courses do not count toward college credit and are resulting in many community colleges, where as many as 60% of incoming freshmen take remedial courses, becoming extended high school experiences. At KWoods, we have made a formidable commitment to our students to have them adequately prepared for college success when they graduate from KWHS.  This year we have been researching best practices in high school college readiness and visiting high schools that have proven successful programs. These programs are notable in their high expectations for all students and the remarkable achievements of students who are "typical" students, not gifted and talented students vying for entry into magnet schools. The results of our research this year has led to the development of a college readiness curriculum that will be woven into our academic courses as well as delivered through Advisory. This year, our focus has been on developing the kinds of reading skills students need for success in college and beyond, which requires decoding complex, informational texts. Teachers have been trained in how to integrate these texts into their units across all subjects and how to teach them to develop critical thinking skills. This goes hand-in-hand with our focus on improving math proficiency and understanding scientific method -which are the application of critical thinking.

As stated above, you will hear greater detail of these developments throughout the spring.  Thank you for your support and confidence in KWHS, we look forward to the all the exciting work ahead of us.   

Best Regards,

Jim Perry